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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001879">Spooky Scary Skeletons</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ejes/pseuds/Tory'>Tory (Ejes)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Halloween, employee of the month for 890 consecutive months, hazy memories, saix is still the only decent character in the whole franchise, strangely there is no skeletton actually really involved</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:02:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,802</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ejes/pseuds/Tory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Larxene doesn't come back from a mission, Marluxia volunteers to make sure his partner in crime isn't deserting, slacking off, or dead. But the spooky town of Halloween might stir up ghosts from the past... [one shot]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spooky Scary Skeletons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello hello! Did you remember I existed after my usual months of completely disappearing? Did I write this fic two months ago then forgot to post it? Have I been stuck home for weeks and weeks because of the lockdown, and yet barely found time to write at all? If you answered yes to at least two questions, congrats! You didn't win anything but my love and admiration.</p>
<p>And this fic. Please enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>The Castle That Never Was. A regular day, with dusks crawling all over the place, Xemnas staring blankly at the heart shaped moon, Saïx taking charge, Demyx snoozing on the sofa. A Tuesday like every other Tuesdays.</p>
<p>Marluxia was enjoying a cup of fine tea, glad the whole place was peaceful. It wouldn't last and he knew it - he came back from this mission earlier than the others, and the second one of the noisy ones would step into the room, all the peace would be gone forever. He hoped Xigbar had be sent far far away on a very tough job. He also hoped the one eyed man would never come back again. Xigbar was hardly likeable, even on Nobodies standards.</p>
<p>"Don't we all love when all the meanies are away?" Demyx asked, staring at Marluxia with a smile. The musician stretched. "It's so quiet when they're not around. Don't you agree, Marly?"</p>
<p>"It was a lot quieter before you opened your mouth, Demyx," Marluxia sighed.</p>
<p>"Now you sound exactly like her! Can't a man just appreciate a moment of peace?"</p>
<p>"That would be my line." The number eleven sipped his hot drink, letting the strong flavour of cinnamon explode into his mouth. At least the tea was good. That almost made Demyx's blabbering sufferable. Marluxia scoffed. He even <em>thought</em> like her.</p>
<p>"All I'm saying is, it's great when Larxene isn't around! No old witch to yell at me for no reason! Hey, Saïx, where was she sent today? Any chances she might die on the job?"</p>
<p>Saïx rolled his eyes. "She was sent to explore Halloweentown. A realm full of monsters might be the perfect place to gather and create even more powerful creatures. And her chances of dying there are probably lower than <em>yours</em> if you keep bugging me. Aren't you supposed to work on your report anyway?"</p>
<p>Demyx groaned and quickly jumped on his feet, mumbling something about 'being almost done' and 'a place without Larxene was a better place already" as he quickly escaped the room and Saïx's ire.</p>
<p>Marluxia finished his tea, frowning a little. Larxene had told him before leaving that she'd be back as soon as she could and that she had planned a gossip session with him. Apparently, she had found out some juicy stuff about some of the Nobodies and she was thrilled to share her secrets with Marluxia. He wasn't really curious or impatient, but he knew she was. Reconnaissance missions weren't the longest ones either, so it was quite surprising she wasn't back already, telling him all the crazy theories she had elaborated. Maybe she just had found something of interest, he told himself, ignoring the bitter taste the tea left on his tongue.</p><hr/>
<p>One by one, everyone came back. Much to Marluxia's relief, Xigbar was the last one, and peace remained for a decent amount of time, until all eleven were gathered again. Demyx even had stopped hiding and came back to hang out with everyone else in the main room.</p>
<p>"Lucky me! Still no hag in sight!"</p>
<p>It was getting late, even in an endless-night world. And Larxene still wasn't back. Marluxia could see that Saïx was getting frustrated. Had she decided she had more interesting things to do than her mission? Or was she dead? If so, where would they find a decent replacement? The pink haired man could see all the questions shuffling in Saïx's head. He sighed and got up.</p>
<p>"I'll go and check the place."</p>
<p>Saïx stared at him and said nothing. Marluxia shrugged. "I'll be gone for an hour, top. If I can't find her by then, I'll come back. If neither of us is back, assume we're both dead and move on."</p>
<p>"Make sure to bring potions and ethers. Finding new Nobodies to fill the rank isn't an easy task."</p>
<p>Marluxia waved at him dismissively, summoning a dark corridor. Had he still had a heart, perhaps he would have been at least slightly worried. But his chest felt really empty as he stepped into darkness. And the bitterness from the tea just wouldn't leave his palate.</p><hr/>
<p>Marluxia never really believed in ghosts. First of all, he had known too many people who weren't gone peacefully, and he could only hope that their grief wouldn't sentence them to an eternity of just aimlessly floating around. But most of all, he believed what he saw, and he didn't recall ever seeing a ghost before.</p>
<p>He was starting to believe in them as he noticed the transparent shapes hovering all around him.</p>
<p>Halloween Town was a gloomy place, much different from the worlds he usually visited. Here, there was a permanent chill, the feeling of being stared at, and some kind of fog that just wouldn't go away. He wasn't scared - not because he had no heart, but because he was a grown up man able to use magic and quite capable of defending himself, but he couldn't deny this place was very macabre. Not the kind of place Larxene would spend longer than necessary, he thought. He glanced around. There was a huge fountain filled with green water, a guillotine (<em>how lovely</em>, he smirked at himself), a lot of stone buildings, but no sign of the young woman. He took a paved path on his right, that took him to a cemetery. There again, no Larxene.</p>
<p>He was well aware he had little time to find her. Maybe she just went to another world. Maybe she just had a breakdown and ran away from the Organization. Maybe she was gone, from this world and all the others.</p>
<p><em>You won't believe what I found out</em>, she had said that morning, <em>this is the most unexpected turn of events! But you will have to wait until I'm back from that losey job to find out. Later loser!</em></p>
<p>No, she wouldn't escape. Not when she had something to tell him. Not without him.</p>
<p>He considered for a second someone took care of her. Whatever her secret story was, someone knew and wanted to silence her. But that wouldn't make sense. Marluxia was pretty sure Saïx wouldn't get rid of her - no matter how annoying she was, she still was a powerful addition to their ranks and Saïx dreaded having to find someone else. If he didn't find her, he'd ask the blue haired man. If anyone had asked where she went that day, they would be a suspect.</p><hr/>
<p>He had explored every area and time was almost up. A lot of ghosts, of ghouls, of gargoyles, of mummies and of skeletons, but no sight of a living person. Anywhere. Where in the worlds could she be? With a sigh, Marluxia looked for a place to sit. He needed to think like her, this time not to criticize Demyx, but to understand where she could have gone. He sat on some staircases, closing his eyes.</p>
<p>This place was spooky and very disturbing, and that didn't help him focus. The wind sounded like muffled sobs, not his favourite thinking soundtrack.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sobs</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The skeletons didn't sob</em>
</p>
<p>Very slowly, he got back to his feet, stepping to the side of the stairs, to find out it was possible to actually sit under them. And that was exactly what she had done.</p>
<p>He had to suppose it was her, because all he could see was the black coat, curled into a ball with the hood on, letting an occasional sob out.</p>
<p>"And here I thought you said only weaklings would cry," he mused, kneeling next to her. No reaction. "Are you turning into Demyx?" only a sob answered back. "Scared of the spooky skeletons?" He chuckled, but she still didn't react. With a sigh, he stood up.</p>
<p>"I've been sent here to make sure you were alive. You obviously are, so take your time to regain some composure, and RTC ASAP. You're making Demyx happy."</p>
<p>He turned back, trying to step away, pretending to leave. Trying, because a gloved hand darted out, grabbing his leg, pointy fingers digging through his skin.</p>
<p>"...lone"</p>
<p>"What was that?" She had mumbled something so low he couldn't make out the words. And she was hurting him.</p>
<p>"Dontleavemealonedontleavemealone"</p>
<p>A flashback. A hand, shaking, grabbing his. Turquoise eyes filled with tears. The same supplication from a voice ten years younger. He froze in his tracks.</p>
<p>His past was a hazy thing. He remembered the two of them were together. They survived together. But he didn't remember the details, nor did he ever really tried to, but he was now certain she had begged him to the very same thing years ago. So he sat next to her, taking her hand to his face, and repeated the words he had told her then.</p>
<p>"I won't ever leave you behind. We're in this together. And I'll always be right next to you."</p>
<p>A promise he had broken once, but not twice. It wasn't about the mission or the Organization anymore. It was about that scared girl who had turned into a confident woman, and he wouldn't let her go back to her frightened self.</p>
<p>"Now, tell me. What happened?"</p>
<p>She stared at him. No, not at <em>him</em>, he realised, but right behind him. He looked back, but there was nothing. Nothing at all.</p>
<p>"Larxene, I can't help you if you don't say anything."</p>
<p>"They're gone. They're gone for now. But they will come back."</p>
<p>"They?" He waited. She said nothing. "Did someone hurt you somehow?" He felt uneasy. She was strong, one of the strongest person he knew. And so proud, too. He doubted anyone would be able to reduce her to this sobbing mess, and he doubted that anyone could break her so hard she'd allow anyone to see her pain, even him. "Are they still around? Is there anything I can do?" He chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood a bit. "Do you want me to punch them?"</p>
<p>It worked, and he heard a crystalline sound, a giggle in the middle of the sobs. "I'd like to see you try. You'd probably regret it dearly. You can't win."</p>
<p>"Thanks for the vote of confidence. There isn't a living creature that I cannot beat."</p>
<p>She shook her head, staring at the ground. "I know. That was my point."</p>
<p>Another silence followed. He realised that she looked a bit more relaxed, crying less, her back slightly straighter. She had taken his hand and did not let go, but she wasn't clutching it so hard it hurt anymore.</p>
<p>"...Ghosts?"</p>
<p>She clutched it so it hard it hurt again. "I guessed it right, then. So you're afraid of ghosts. Why?"</p>
<p>She glared at him with so much anger he wondered if she'd hiss at him.</p>
<p>"Do you think I know <em>why</em> I'm scared? If I knew I'd just tell myself it's dumb and move on. But this absurd brain of mine won't care that it's stupid or irrational or that they didn't even do a thing. They exist, and that is apparently enough." Her shoulders slumped. It was his time to squeeze her hand, albeit gently.</p>
<p>"They're only in this world, though. I don't think I've heard of any other world with such… population. Let's just leave this place, and if you're sent here again, I'll switch with you. You'll be fine."</p>
<p>"We can't let them know!" she snapped. "Tell Saïx I can't come back here? Not gonna happen. We aren't supposed to feel anything. Heck, <em>I</em> wasn't feeling anything until I walked in here. They'll turn me into a Dusk or something, they cannot know." She paled, a remarkable feat given how white she already was. "<em>Xigbar must never ever ever ever know</em>."</p>
<p>With a chuckle, he leaned in and placed his lips on her forehead. "Don't worry. I've got this. Now come back with me."</p>
<p>He stood up, helping her to her feet. But as she stared at the door next to them, she froze again. "I can't go through that plaza again. I'm sorry, but I really can't."</p>
<p>"Not an issue," he shrugged, opening a dark corridor right next to them. "Here's a shortcut. It will be taking us to the sweet world of Olympus, where you'll have a bit of time to take a breather, clean your face a bit and look like the bitch you always are, before we go back home."</p>
<p>"A bitch? You know you can go f-"</p>
<p>"And I will, but later. Hurry, now, because they won't like it if I take too much time." He dragged her through the corridor, landing on the busy Thebes where no one paid them any attention at all.</p><hr/>
<p>She used some water to splash her face, cleared her throat, did her best to look natural. But right before Marluxia opened up a new corridor, this time for the Castle, she stopped him once again. She didn't look scared, but thoughtful. And sad.</p>
<p>"Do you really think ghosts only appear in Halloween Town?"</p>
<p>"I don't know, but I've never met any in any other place. Why?"</p>
<p>"Don't you think… That maybe, somewhere, the ghosts from our past are waiting for us? People we left behind, people we forgot? Do you think there's a place where they're stuck, suffering for eternity, because we didn't save them?"</p>
<p>She obviously remembered more from their past than he did. People he left behind? People he didn't save? He couldn't remember who she was talking about.</p>
<p>
  <em>A flash. Long black hair. Scarlet scarf. Shy blue eyes. Feathered hat. Ginger twintails. A flash, and pain.</em>
</p>
<p>"I'm sure that whoever we left behind moved on and is now at peace," he said with a smile, hiding his discomfort. "And we should move on too. Nothing good comes from dwelling on the past. Come now."</p><hr/>
<p>When they finally arrived in the Castle, only Saïx was waiting for them, looking displeased, as usual.</p>
<p>"The hour is almost over," he said coldly.</p>
<p>"Almost, but not yet," Marluxia shrugged. "And I found her, so I kept my word."</p>
<p>"And you," Saïx said, staring blankly at Larxene, "what could take you so long?"</p>
<p>"An attack," Marluxia said, and it wasn't exactly wrong. The attack came from <em>within</em>, but Saïx didn't need to know as much. "Not the most pleasant world, this world of the dead. How do you defeat something that is dead already?</p>
<p>"The mission wasn't to defeat anyone," the blue haired man plainly stated. Larxene glared at him, but remained silent.</p>
<p>"Then why send Larxene?" Marluxia offered a sarcastic smile. "She's fit for action and violence, I'm sure you know this much. Now, exploring new worlds, that's something fit for Demyx… Or, if you're looking for someone serious, for <em>me</em>. Violence isn't elegant enough for me."</p>
<p>"Am I to understand you are requesting to be assigned this world?"</p>
<p>"I see you are very perceptive. Yes, I believe I would do much better than her in such a place. Don't you agree, Larxene?"</p>
<p>"This place is a massive graveyard. Who to send but the flower boy?"</p>
<p>He let out a surprised chuckle. "Then it's settled, is it not?"</p>
<p>"Do you think this is a restaurant? That there is a menu where you get to pick what you want to do and what you do not?" Saïx looked mildly annoyed. Had it been Demyx asking for such a favour, Saïx would probably have roasted him already. A good thing both Marluxia and Larxene were quite serious on the job.</p>
<p>"Now, now, Saïx, I'm sure you can see the positive outcome in this." Marluxia leaned in, a cold smile on his face. "Larxene will do wonderfully in worlds where she can destroy things. I will do amazingly in worlds where I can take my time to check everything. And <em>you</em>," and this time he leaned so close he was only inches away from Saïx's ear, "will do incredibly without Xemnas knowing you're rummaging through his files when he's away."</p>
<p>Saïx's face turned red, his eyes shining with fury, and for a second, Marluxia held his breath. Then, after a really long silence, Saïx glared at them both.</p>
<p>"From now on, you will be expected to be twice as efficient, Larxene. Any other delay like this, and you will do great as a <em>Dusk</em>. As for you, Marluxia… Don't forget that I, <em>too</em>, can reveal quite a few things to the Superior. Keep that in mind. You're dismissed."</p><hr/>
<p>As they were back to the security of Marluxia's room, Larxene let out a relieved sigh.</p>
<p>"I won't say this twice, but…. Thank you. For everything."</p>
<p>"If we don't stand for each other, who will?" He winked. "And you owe me some juicy rumours anyway, so I do need you alive."</p>
<p>She chuckled, sitting on a chair, legs crossed.</p>
<p>"You are <em>so</em> not ready for this. Well, you see, as it turns out..."</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope yall are safe, please take care!</p>
<p>Just a bit of addendum regarding Marluxia's memories - he forgot about his time as a keykid, and about the war and everything, including the Dandelions, and his sister. He however remember having part of something where people died - which is why he recalls knowing people who had a brutal death, but he cannot really say who they were or why they died. What Larxene remembers is a bit more blurry - does she remember it all, and pretends not to know in front of Marluxia? Or doesn't she know much more than he does, and is haunted by terrifying nightmares of children fighting to the death, waking up in tears and being unable to know why she dreams of such dreadful event? That is yet to be discovered...</p></blockquote></div></div>
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